ROUND 20 2020 VOLUME 1 · ISSUE 18 Thanks & Goodbye Departing & Retiring Players Tribute
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The FRONT ROW ROUND 20 2020 VOLUME 1 · ISSUE 18 Thanks & goodbye Departing & retiring players tribute Heading home NRL family prepares to bid Warriors a fond farewell INSIDE: NRL Round 20, Super League Round 13 & International program with squad lists, previews & head to head stats PLUS Crossword, Word Jumbles, NRL Round 19 Wrap, Ladder & Stats, NSWRL Grand Final teams THE FRONT ROW FORUMS AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST RUGBY LEAGUE DISCUSSION BOARDS forums.leagueunlimited.com THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON 2 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 18 What’s inside From the editor THE FRONT ROW - ISSUE 18 Tim Costello From the editor 3 As we bid farewell to the regular season of the NRL this Feature: Thank You Warriors 4-5 week, we have a bumper issue from all corners of the globe. Feature; Retiring & Departing Players 6-7 We pay tribute to the incredible sacrifices made by the Feature: Finals Fowards 8 Warriors in remaining in Australia for several months to Crossword, Word Jumbles, Birthdays 9 ensure the NRL could resume and complete the 2020 THE WRAP · NRL Round 19 10-14 premiership; as well as a tribute to the careers of some of Match reports 10-12 the NRL's finest departing and retiring stars. We've also got a look at the top eight forward packs heading into the finals The Scoresheet, Match Review & series. LU Player of the Year Standings 13 Premiership Ladder, Stats Leaders 14 But this week most excitingly - international footy is back. Netherlands and Germany face off in the annual GAME DAY · NRL Round 20 15-35 Griffin Cup this Saturday! You can find teamlists, officials LU Team Tips 15 and a full preview right here in The Front Row, as well as THU Broncos v Cowboys 16-17 some remarks from IRL CEO Nigel Wood and a story from renowned journalist Steve Mascord. FRI Titans v Knights 18-19 Rabbitohs v Roosters 20-21 We welcome back our crossword this week as well as squad SAT Bulldogs v Panthers 22-23 lists, previews and match stats for Super League as the season moves into Round 13. It really is a huge edition - Sharks v Raiders 24-25 check it out. And most of all, stay safe and happy reading! Tigers v Eels 26-27 SUN Warriors v Sea Eagles 28-29 Dragons v Storm 30-31 2020 NRL Draw 32-33 NSWRL Grand Final Day & Results 34-35 The FRONT ROW GAME DAY · Super League Round 13 35-45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THU Hull KR v Leeds 36-37 We’d like to thank RugbyLeagueProject.org for their support Hull FC v Salford 38-39 and use of various statistics throughout this publication. Castleford v Huddersfield 40-41 FRI Warrington v Catalans 42-43 Interested in advertising with The Front Row or LeagueUnlimited.com, or just want to provide feedback? Wigan v Wakefield 44-45 Contact us by email - [email protected] GAME DAY · Griffin Cup International 46-50 Welcome - Nigel Wood (IRL CEO) 46 Magazine content originally appears International rugby league - the sport they on LeagueUnlimited.com © 2020. couldn't kill 47 Cover image: Warriors warm-up. Courtesy Central Coast Stadium SAT Netherlands v Germany 48-49 Souvenir cover 50 MANAGERS Steven Williams & Coby Delaney EDITOR Tim Costello CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Ferguson Steve Mascord Adam Huxtable Paul Jobber Sam Bourke Rick Edgerton Hamish Parker PRINTED IN Robert Crosby Andrew Jackson SYDNEY AND Andrew Carey Jason Hosken Justin Davies Lachy MacCorquodale LONDON BY Josh Robertson Emile El-Azar LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 18 | 3 FEATURE · THANK YOU WARRIORS! Packing their bags New Zealand Warriors prepare for emotion-charged family reunions NE hundred and forty nine days. Coach Todd Payten admitted his superstar fullback had been counting down the days until he was reunited with partner Ashley and Four months and 26 days. their two children. OTwo-fifths of one calendar year. "I'd like to put him on a plane (now), but it's just not going to happen," he said. No matter how you look at it, the New Zealand Warriors have sacrificed plenty in 2020, but their 21-week stay in the country will "We spoke about putting him on a commercial flight, but he'll get finally come to an end on Monday. home quicker on a charter. While some families have had their loved ones by their side for a large "I know he's counting down the days; he told me that his wife Ash was portion of the time, others haven't been quite so fortunate. relieved we got beat (against Cronulla which ended their finals hopes) and I can't hold that against the kid." Second-rower Adam Blair was one of the lucky ones who managed to have his family included in the team's bubble. Tuivasa-Sheck told the Wide World of Sports that he had been going to bed early and laying awake at night watching videos of his two But wife Jess is more than aware they were in a better position than a kids. number of teammates, but they also had to sacrifice some normality in the process. "I miss them everyday," he said. "I decided after about six weeks in Auckland while we were still in "My little boy started crawling not so long ago, my girl's speaking so lockdown that I was to head over with the boys to reunite with Adam," much and she's only two so the toughest part for me has been not she said. being home to do my duties like that." "I am Australian so I guess I had that choice, whereas many of the The 27-year-old has already missed out on a number of small families didn't even get that option." milestones while being in Australia. It was seven weeks apart by the time the Blair's were reunited at the "The kids are doing really cool things now that they weren't doing team's Terrigal base after they were forced to quarantine. when I was at home," he said. "My dad drove me and the kids from Brisbane to Terrigal but "I'm hoping to make it back for my son's first birthday which is on obviously due to the NRL bubble he couldn't stop and stay so he just October 14. I missed my girl's second birthday so I've been missing dropped us at reception and had to leave," she said. things like that." "I had planned to go back to Queensland to stay and see The Warriors tackle Manly at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday my family, but when the borders shut I was essentially before the NRL community will bid them a fond farewell. stuck in NSW too." While coach Todd Payten will head to North Queensland in 2021, he admitted he would look back on his time at the club with great pride. The Blair's visit was only meant to be a short one with Jess and the kids due to return to Auckland on July 20. "I'm really proud of this group of men; they've changed my "I wanted the kids to be back at school, but with the news Adam's nan life and I owe them a whole debt of gratitude," he said. was sick and the kids wanting to stay, we decided to stay," she said. Payten is now requesting one final 80-minute performance. That meant enrolling nine-year-old Harlem into a new school which resulted in the naturopath and nutritionist losing most of her work. They don't want their last match to undo all the hard work they've done over the past 149 days since they arrived in Tamworth on May She then had to study from Terrigal while trying to settle into life in 3. the bubble. "If we don't show the same effort that we've shown for the past 10 While the Blair's will be the first to admit they have been fortunate, weeks then we'll get some people saying it's the same old Warriors," others including Roger Tuivasa-Sheck haven't been. Payten said. 4 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 18 Paul Jobber Contributor Bags packed: Life on the road hasn't been easy for the men from across the Tasman. Adam with wife Jess and children Harlem & Taika Warriors forward Adam Blair with his grandfather Patrick and late grandmother Ngahuia LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 1 ISSUE 18 | 5 FEATURE - RETIRING & DEPARTING PLAYERS A lasting legacy We celebrate the NRL's departing class of 2020 lose to 2,700 games of NRL experience will finish up at CHRIS LAWRENCE the end of the home-and-away season this weekend. Holding the records as the equal leading try-scorer (84) and youngest player to debut (17-years-old) for the Wests Tigers, Chris Lawrence For many, the final whistle will bring a close to wonderful showed remarkable determination to come back from several injuries Ccareers. Some will progress on to the finals. Others will head overseas that threatened to prematurely end his career. Finishing up as a in pursuit of new challenges. one-club player with the joint venture, the 31-year-old centre-turned- second rower represented Australia on six occasions. Each of these players has left an impression on the NRL and will be 253 NRL Games (Wests Tigers: 2006-2020) missed by clubs and supporters alike. NRL Debut: Wests Tigers 20 v Brisbane Broncos 6 - Round 21, 2006 (Wing, #18) From everyone at League Unlimited, we would like to extend our admiration and thanks to the departing class of 2020.